RE: [alfa] 72 GTV with electrical gremlins

["Brian Shorey" <bshorey@xxxxxxxxx>]

> I have a 72 GTV with some major electrical gremlins.  
> 
> Half of the time the car is completely dead and will only 
> start when jumped.  Other times it's fine. 
> 
> Sometimes when the car is off and I turn on the headlights, 
> the headlights will only come on after a few seconds, 
> sometimes immediately, sometimes not at all.  In any case, it 
> doesn't seem ignition switch related because of this symptom
> 
> Suspecting the ground cable from the battery, I replaced it 
> over the weekend, and subsequently blew $5.99.
> 
> Any ideas where I should look for the short?  Maybe hire some 
> sort of exorcist?

I'm not sure you've got a short.  Maybe, but if you did I'd expect to see
some blown fuses, or sign of heated wires somewhere.

When the car is dead, have you measured the voltage at the battery?  It
could be something as simple as a bad connection at the battery (positive
lead?).  With jumpers connected, do you observe the delayed headlight
symptoms you observed?

Start by making sure you've got voltage at the battery.  Then, as others
have suggested, check the connections at the battery, the other end of the
ground, the ground between the transmission and the chassis, etc.  Undo all
those connections, clean them up, and replace them.

If that doesn't work, post again and we'll continue the troubleshooting.

bs
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